Access Ambassadors CIC was a non-profit community interest company set up in 2014. The company closed after the final Covid lockdowns in 2021. The not-for-profit company provided BSL courses up to BSL Level 3, Deaf Awareness courses, interpreting services, and supported MK Deaf Community activities with the revenue generated from the company.
COVID-19 changed the way many services were delivered. Most of the services that were accessed via Access Ambassadors can now be found online via video relay interpreting services. The directors and management board decided to close Access Ambassadors as the needs of the local deaf community and services had changed. All resources, including online BSL courses, have been transferred to Milton Keynes Deaf Community. The most important pages from Access Ambassadors have been transferred to this website. The posts are listed below:
7 common myths about communication
10 tips for Working with BSL Interpreters
Deaf employees in the workplace
Hidden hearing loss? Do an online test
Accessibility case study – MK Gallery
Working towards an ‘accessible’ MK: Access Ambassadors CIC
Access Ambassadors aimed to break down barriers between deaf and hearing people:
- Attitude i.e. biases (e.g. thinking deaf people are not important and can be ignored)
- Communication i.e. using all available methods of communication (e.g. BSL)
- Technological i.e. no provision for assistive devices (e.g. using phones and no video-call facility)
- Environmental i.e. using rooms that do not support ‘hearing’ for hearing aid users (e.g. wooden floors and walls)
- Organisational i.e procedures that discriminate e.g. online job applications in English only
Working with the MK Deaf Community, ‘accessible’ was described as:
- Positive attitude towards difference, including communication differences
- Communication (Deaf Awareness) training
- Using technology to make communication easier
- Minimising environmental issues that affect communication (using carpets, curtains, lighting)
- Providing alternative application formats for recruitment
Attitudinal barriers include negative attitudes towards those with ‘protected characteristics’ under the Equality Act 2010 (see below). It is important to note that anyone regardless of social status or protected character can be deaf/ hard of hearing:
Gender reassignment – transgender
Sexual orientation – gay, lesbian, bisexual, heterosexual
Marriage/ civil partnership – relationship status
Pregnancy – during pregnancy and after (maternity leave)
Race – skin colour, country of origin, cultural background
Religion/belief –
Age – young or old should be free from discrimination
Disability – there is an underlying duty to make reasonable adjustments
Sex – male/female
How many Deaf BSL users live in Milton Keynes?
Nationally, various sources put the number of BSL users in the UK between 50,000 and 151,000.Unfortunately, there are no clear government statistics on the number of profoundly Deaf BSL users in the UK.
Deafness is the third most prevalent disability in the UK: 1 in 5 are affected – that equates to around 58,400 people in Milton Keynes
alone (as of April 2025). The honest answer is that we are not sure how many BSL users live in Milton Keynes. Social services were responsible for keeping a Deaf/ Hard of Hearing register until 2013. At that time, there were around 750 profoundly deaf BSL users on the register. Milton Keynes has been growing consistently since 2013 so the number of BSL users is likely to be much higher. The key issues is that live or visit Milton Keynes, the city needs to be accessible to BSL users, their families and friends.
Barriers that arise due to being deaf also affects family. Barriers create dependency on family members (putting a strain on familial relationships and reinforces disempowerment). Access Ambassadors intentions was to help others by removing barriers so that any deaf/hard of hearing person had equal access to services and activities, the same as anyone else. MK Deaf Zone website now aims to remove barriers also by making sure information and services are fully accessible to anyone using BSL.
Access Ambassadors provided Deaf Awareness sessions and BSL courses for organisations including Local Authorities.
Access Ambassadors also supported local companies at the MK Job Show by providing BSL interpreters:
The non-profit organisation supported a range of employers and native sign language users. By bringing employers and jobseekers together, Access Ambassadors contributed over £500,000 in terms of jobs and investment into the local economy in 2019.
From Access Ambassadors to MK Deaf Zone
As the company has now closed, the remaining resources were used to create this website as an information hub for deaf and hard of hearing people in Milton Keynes. Some of these pages support local organisations by providing useful information such as how to book interpreter services.
The Sensory Service works for Milton Keynes Council to provide support services to deaf and hard of hearing people in Milton Keynes.
Deaf picnic at Willen Lake, Milton Keynes 2014
The label ‘Access Ambassadors’ has since been adopted by Gov.uk and the local Parks Trust.